Drum mounting



Sept. 17, l1929. R, 5, SANFORD 1,728,632

DRUM MOUNT I NG Original Filed Aug. 15, 1927 MII ENTOR IN ROYS., ANFOD Sla-QM ATTORN EY Patented Sept. 17, 1929 UNITED lSTATES PATENT OFFICE ROY S. SANFORD, OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR T BENDIX BRAKE COMPANY,

OF CHICAGQ, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION'OF ILLINOIS Dama MoUN'rnvG 'Application mea Agguau 15, 1927,

brake drums and the like, and' is illustrated i' A as embodied in the mounting of a brake drum on an automobile wheel. An object of the invention is to facilitate the adjustment of the drum to make it co-axial with respect to the Wheel, by mounting it in such a manner that the application ofthe brake when the wheel is rotating will cause the drum to center itself automatically'.v Preferably the-head of the brake drum is provided with an annular series of openings for the brake drum fastenings, the openings being somewhat larger than the fastenings so that the drum can shift slightly to center itself, one of the openings being suiiiciently narrow and elongated so that it has driving engagement with its fastening. Preferably the fastenings carry friction clamping devices such as friction washers held by nuts threaded on the ends of the fastenings and which hold the drum when it has centered itself as described above. v

The above and other objects and features of the invention will be apparent from the following description of one illustrative embodiment shown in the accompanying drawing, in which v Figure 1 is a vertical Section through one front wheel of an automobile and through the 'brake dr m,.showing the -mounting of the drum on t e wheel;

i Figure 2 is an outside elevation of the drum, that is, looking from the left in Figure 1, before it is attached to the wheel; and

'Figure 3 is a detailed section through one' ofthe fastenings on a larger scale than Figure 1. v

In the arrangement illustrated the "wheel 10 carries the usual inflatable tire 12 and is fastened in any suitable manner to a hub4 14 rotating on a spindle 16 projecting from a front wheel knuckle 18.A The knuckle 18 or its equivalent also carries the backing plate 20 on which the brake (not shown) is mounted. l, The drum 22 may be of any usual or desired form and is shown as ormed with a cylindrical braking flange projecting away from the wheel and withl a generally plane Serial No.y 213,178. Renewed November 1 4, 1928.

head substantially parallel to the wheel.' --According to an importa-nt feature of thev present invention, the head of the drum-22 is formed with an annular series of openings 24 for the bolts 26 0r lother fastenings securing the drum tothe wheel 10. All but one of the openings 24e are somewhat larger than the fastenings 26,'so that it is possible to lshift the drum slightly with respect t0 the fastenings.

One of the openings, shown at 28 in Figure 2, is slightlymarrower than l the openings 24 and' has driving engagement with opposite sides of its fastenings 26. This opening 28 is somewhat elongated ra-.V dially of the wheel so that'it permits shifting of the drum with respect to its fastening 26, so long as the shifting is substantially along the radius passing through the opening 28 or 1s an angular movement about an .axis passing through the opening 28.

Each of the fastenings 26 is `provided with friction means clamping the drum 22 to the wl1eeltightlyenough to prevent movement except when considerable pressure is applied. The illustrated friction -means includes a nut-30 threaded on the end of the fastening against a spring lock-washer 32 yholding a friction washer 34 against the head of the brake drum. A spacer 36 may be provided if4 desired to limit distortion of the` washer 3 .v

" In operation, all of the nutsBO are drawn i up quite tightly ,so that the drum can shift with respect to its fasteningsj only when a very great force is applied. The brake (not shown) is mounted on thel backing plate 20,

and as this brake has previously been ad- -Ijuste'd to be substantially coaxial with respect'to wheel 10, when it is applied it tends to shift the drum 2,2 into a position where it is also cofaxial with respect to the wheel.

to force it-to turn against the resistance of the brake, this force being sufficient to vSuilicient force is now applied to the wheel tion to limit the scope of the invention to that particular embodiment or otherwise than by the terms of the appended claims. Y

l claim: l. A brake drum mounting comprising, in combination, a rotatable part, a brake drum having a head adjacent said part and .formed With an annular series of openings through said head, one ofwhich is elongated along a radius of the drum and is narrower than the other o enings at right angles to `said radius, and astenings passing through the openings and Awhich secure the drum to said part, the astenings being smaller than their openings except that the one passing through the elongated opening is substantially equal in diameter to the shorter dimension o'said opening so thatit has driving engagement with the sides of the elongated opening.

2. A brake drum mounting comprising, in combination, a rotatable part, a brake drum having a head adjacent said part and formed with an annular series of openings through said head, one ofwhich is elongated along a radius of the drum and is narroWer than: the other openings aty right angles to s aidradius,fastenings passing through `the openings and which secure the drum to said part, the fastenings being smallerthan their openings except thatthe one passing through the elongated opening is substantially equal in diameter tothe shorter dimension of said opening so that it has driving .engagement with the sides of the elongated opening, and friction holding means associated With each fastening and permitting the drum to shift slightly to center itself when the brake is applied.

3. The method. of 'positioning a brake.

drum with respect to its wheel which com `in combination,

prises mounting the'. drum upon the Wheel. p be subsequently :shifted with respect thereto, then applying a in such manner that it may braking means to contact the drum and prevent normal rotative movement thereof and naaaesa 5. A brake drum characterized by a head provided with a plurality of openings adjacent a central opening therein, one of said openings being elongated 'radially of said drum.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

ROY SSANFORD.

lastly rotating-.said drum against the resistance of said brake to automatically force the drum into concentric relation with respect to the brake and wheel.. 4. A vehicle Wheel assembly' comprising, a revolvable Wheel part, .a brake drum having a head adjacent said part and secured thereto by; fastenings passing 

